Papers by Cyriacus C. Ajaelu
Journal of Brain Behaviour and Health, 2004
The Dopamine hypothesis and the multiple phases of Schizophrenia: A misdiagnosis that leads to mi... more The Dopamine hypothesis and the multiple phases of Schizophrenia: A misdiagnosis that leads to mistreatment.
This paper reviews the reason for differences in cognitive ability, and how they influenceindivid... more This paper reviews the reason for differences in cognitive ability, and how they influenceindividual’s problem solving skills. It is obvious and undisputable that people think,reason, act, and make decisions differently. Whatever is responsible for this different propensityin intelligence may also be responsible for the discrepancies in problem-solving techniques aswell as individual functionality. For example, some people are smart, gifted, creative andtalented, while others are inept, unimaginative and dull. Even among identical twins, differencesin their problem-solving skills are readily and unmistakably noticed. Can this be attributed tobiological, genetic or environmental factors? Researchers are overwhelmingly divided on thisissue. However, the component process theory focuses on the human mental developmentalprocesses as major determinant of the possible reason for the differences in cognitive abilities.This paper explores and synthesizes how our knowledge of the component p...
Many researchers believe that mental disorders like schizophrenia, posttraumatic stress disorders... more Many researchers believe that mental disorders like schizophrenia, posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD), conduct disorders (CD), attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are biological in origin. The challenge confronting psychologists, especially clinical psychologists, is to expand the horizon of abnormal behavior to include the influences biological factors have on the etiology of mental disorders. The variation observed in individual differences in normal andpsychopathological behaviors have raised an array of controversies among researchers. The disease model theorists hold genetic factors as a major contributor at the most distal end of a complex genetic-to-behavior pathway. The fundamental behaviorists, on the other hand, believe that if separated from environmental factors, the whole search for the origin of mental disorder is stunted and meaningless. Therefore, the interface between biogenetic and environmental factorsin the etiologies of mental disorder remains con...
Even in this scientific and jet-age, some people still believe that variations brought about by i... more Even in this scientific and jet-age, some people still believe that variations brought about by individual differences (differences in behaviour, reasoning and approaches to problem-solving) are controlled by some "strange forces" that cannot be seen, touch or comprehend. These forces, they believe, are real, but beyond the understanding and comprehension of humans. Predominant in this view are those who hold that humans and the propensities surrounding their complicated behaviour are innately determined and fundamentally controlled by some "spiritual forces" animated by the soul (which can be good or evil). Even though modern science and technology have ruled out this belief system or concept as disingenuous, yet it continues to hold prominence among people of many nations, of which Nigerians are greatly involved. Even with its commanding number of Universities and highly learned population, people in Nigeriaoverwhelmingly have the belief that humans are not int...
This article reviews the importance of personality theory in the foundation and development of th... more This article reviews the importance of personality theory in the foundation and development of therapy in mental health system. It also encapsulates the possible role eclectic-integrative approach plays in promoting effective and efficient mental health treatment methods. Human personality systematizes the manner in which behavior is formed, how it develops, and how it influences an individual’s characteristics in a given situation. Through the theory of human personality, researchers seek to describe, explain, predict, and control the facts about human behavior and their influences upon effective cognitive and social function and adaptation. From the earliest time to the most recent formalized psychotherapeutic methods, the theory of personality has played a significant role in their scientific development. Theories such as conditioning, motivation, stimuli-reaction, autonomy, cognition, self-actualization, violent, aggression, and mental well being, are factors on which psychologi...
The clinical and parametric analysis of schizophrenia show a multifaceted symptom phase in which ... more The clinical and parametric analysis of schizophrenia show a multifaceted symptom phase in which many other major categories of mental disorders can be diagnosed. This is leads to the complicated nature of schizophrenia both in its diagnosis and interventions. Even with the claims of high-tech diagnostic processes, advanced low side-effect antipsychotic drugs, and research in this area, high rate misdiagnosis and under-treatment of schizophrenic patients, especially in developing nations, are very high. The major categories of schizophrenia that distinguishes it from other mental disorders, are psychotic features, which have been linked to neurocircuitry, genetic vulnerability, and environmental exposures. Yet vulnerability theories have implicated psychodynamicprocesses, cognitive abilities, personality trait, interpersonal and family upbringing as precipitating and escalating factors of schizophrenia. However, due to its ravaging effects in visuospatial, visuoperceptual and visuoc...
Objective: Findings show that socio-economic development programs geared toward helping African n... more Objective: Findings show that socio-economic development programs geared toward helping African nations to become self-reliant and self-sufficient are not successful in accomplishing their goals. This article tries to explore, although with limited internally generated database, that the neglect or lack of integrated program model that include mental and behavioral factors are primarily the underlying factors. Methods: The article reviews research findings, literature and evidence-based reports that link human mental well-being to individual, family, community andnational social development and disability. Of major interest are the effects of untreated traumatic stress factors (e.g., life-event natural or man-made stressors, or acute or chronic stress not otherwise listed), as well as the direct or indirect influences of mental health, personality and interpersonal relationships to self-sustenance. Results: Based on sufficient scientific findings, it is determined that if programs ...
For centuries, the devastating and puzzling effects of schizophrenia on humans have raised great ... more For centuries, the devastating and puzzling effects of schizophrenia on humans have raised great concerns among mental health clinicians, researchers and even the public. Due to the ravaging effects, which are hallmark of this ailment, psychiatrists, psychologists, as well as neuroscientists are in continuous controversial debate as to what may constitute the actual etiology of schizophrenia. For some researchers, the pathogenesis of schizophrenia and other psychotic disorders reveals excesses or abnormalities in dopamine activity at various points in the brain, which they believed link schizophrenia to heritability. The gene, catechol-O-methyltransferase, which regulars the activities of dopamine in the frontal cortex of the brain can be defective, and known to be responsible for the genetic transmission of schizophrenia (Pendleton, 2010). For this reason, it is believed that children, who inherited this “defective gene”, stand a greater than 90%chance of becoming symptomatic of th...
Even in this scientific and jet-age, some people still believe that variations brought about by i... more Even in this scientific and jet-age, some people still believe that variations brought about by individual differences (differences in behaviour, reasoning and approaches to problem-solving) are controlled by some "strange forces" that cannot be seen, touch or comprehend. These forces, they believe, are real, but beyond the understanding and comprehension of humans. Predominant in this view are those who hold that humans and the propensities surrounding their complicated behaviour are innately determined and fundamentally controlled by some "spiritual forces" animated by the soul (which can be good or evil). Even though modern science and technology have ruled out this belief system or concept as disingenuous, yet it continues to hold prominence among people of many nations, of which Nigerians are greatly involved. Even with its commanding number of Universities and highly learned population, people in Nigeriaoverwhelmingly have the belief that humans are not int...
The ultimate goal of psychology and psychologist is to study and understand the behavior and natu... more The ultimate goal of psychology and psychologist is to study and understand the behavior and nature of organisms. The aim is to examine and explain how human beings (and other animals) learn, remember, solve problems, perceive, feel, interact with one another, the cause of mental, emotional, and personal abnormality. This quest, to study and understand human personality and behavior, is as old as humanity itself. However, each epoch and civilization handled this task in definite ways. Right from the cradle of human civilization, human beings have struggled to understand themselves, why they behavior the way they behavior, and the way construct their idea of the universe. This quest, which started as early as stoic ages (as far as human documentation can reach) has achieved a lot grounds in the scientific interpretation and understanding the human personality and behaviors. It follows, therefore, that human behavior and personality can be studied scientifically to determine the laws ...
The devastating effects of schizophrenia on human persons have raised puzzling and overwhelming c... more The devastating effects of schizophrenia on human persons have raised puzzling and overwhelming concern among mental health professionals and researchers. Due to the revenging and hallmark of this ailment, neuropsychologists, as well as psychiatrists are in continuous controversial debate as what may constitute the actual etiology of schizophrenia. Many of the researchers have unequivocally maintained that schizophrenia is a genetically transmitted mentaldisorder. They sustain the argument with the studies of the monozygotic twins and the experiment with amphetamine, chlorpromazine, and phenothiazines. They maintain that the dopamine receptor genes are the agents that perpetuate the genetic transmission of heritability of schizophrenia. The sequence of argument has been referred to as the dopamine hypothesis. The strong genetic component of this hypothesis has spilt neurobiologists into two camps, “lumpers” and “splitters.” The lumpers believe that the symptoms manifested by schizop...
In this article, the authors try to situate the comorbid and co-occurring mental and cognitive di... more In this article, the authors try to situate the comorbid and co-occurring mental and cognitive disorders associated with epilepsy within a treatment paradigm that promises an increased quality of life for children with epilepsy. Although one of the world's oldest diseases, epilepsy still carries a very high burden of disease, stigmatization and low-treatment outcome in developing nations of the world, particularly in Nigeria. Apart from physical sufferings and social embarrassment caused by seizure disorders, empirical and clinical findings show that psychological and cognitive impairments are pivotal to high burden of disease and low quality of life suffered by children with epilepsy. The best practices that promise improved methods of curative and preventive interventions for epilepsy are trans- or multi-disciplinary approaches, which take into account both medical and psychological problems. These approaches are known to decrease the epileptogenic focus of seizures, as well a...
The work of psychologists was formerly limited to hospitals, clinics, schools, and industries, bu... more The work of psychologists was formerly limited to hospitals, clinics, schools, and industries, but today psychology has extensively expanded to various aspects of human endeavors. Invariably, such expansions open new challenges and tasks in the field of psychology. Presently, mental health professionals are retained or consulted for forensic expert opinions in purely legal cases that involve child abuse, neglect, guardianship, and custody. In criminal cases, issues such ascompetency to stand trial, prediction of future violence, and the dangerousness of the defendant are included in the work description of forensic psychologists. Over and above all, today psychologists are utilized in court as expert witnesses. With such development, one may envisage some professional controversy between lawyers and psychologists, but researchers elucidate that the presence of psychologists in the courtroom will not, in any way, appropriate the duties of the attorneys. Rather, the expertise of psych...
Health encompasses mental and physical well-being, and the concept of “healthy mind in a healthy ... more Health encompasses mental and physical well-being, and the concept of “healthy mind in a healthy body” has been generally upheld as a resounding precept of a healthy person. It means that mental health problems affects both the mind and the body and immensely contributes to the global burden of disease and disability. In fact, the question as to the cause of mental disorders is as old as humanity itself. This article evaluates scientific investigations or studies that try tounderscore the etiological basis for behavioral, emotional or mental abnormalities in human. People had believed that mental illness was caused by evil spirit, demons, ancestral spirits or individual's wickedness. Today, some researchers claimed that biological factors are precursors to mental health problems, while others claimed multiple factors. But advancement in human knowledge, in which family, twin, adoption and post-mortem studies have been used to establishthat the combinations of biological, psychol...
The prime goal of this article is to analyze ways cultural variability or differences can militat... more The prime goal of this article is to analyze ways cultural variability or differences can militate in favor of or against objective results in intelligence quotient tests. In assessing human behavior, cross-cultural psychology has opened new dimensions which include cognitive awareness, responses to external and internal stimuli, and environmental, geographical, and ecological constitutions. This new methodology of viewing human behavior has radicalized the notion held by genetic psychologists that human intelligence and aptitude are chiefly the product of nature and therefore immutable, rather than the product of nurture (cultural environment) and therefore changeable. Developments in cross-cultural psychology have led to the discovery that when exposed to other cultures,human beings have the innate potentiality to change aspects of their customs and traditions, which then lead to changes in culture and environment. The notion of immutability of human intelligence, which involves t...
As Nigeria is engulfed in terrifying and brutal acts of terrorism - kidnapping by the Niger Delta... more As Nigeria is engulfed in terrifying and brutal acts of terrorism - kidnapping by the Niger Delta Militants or bomb attacks by members of the Boko Haram sect- the international community started to clamor for possible causes. In spite of their links to political and religious factors, terrorism generally has serious militating impact on both physical and psychological well-being of the populace. To pinpoint the reasons behind Nigeria’s terrorism, many researchers, analysts and investigators have presented different findings and claims to as the factor responsible for terrorism in Nigeria. The factors range from extreme poverty, unemployment, radical religious beliefs and extremism, and illiteracy among others. The melting point of these factors is corruption. But beyond corruption is Nigeria’s unregulated religious syncretism and proliferation of belief-systems that are akin to thought disorders. This paper takes a different angle to what many writers have posited as the cause of te...
Psychologists, as a clinician in mental health settings, often work with vulnerable individuals i... more Psychologists, as a clinician in mental health settings, often work with vulnerable individuals in sensitive situations. The information these people divulge or disclose to psychologists is very private and in many conditions. An important step in centers on the totality of individual's life. Therefore, becoming a mental health professional or consumer of psychological services is to be aware of the ethical issues faced by psychologists. As a provider of psychological services, you are obligated to remain informed regarding ethical standards or issues that are pertinent to the practice of psychology. A clinical psychologist without deep-rooted foundation in ethical practices, is not only dangerous to the profession of clinical psychology, but also to the entire society. So, for universities orinstitute of professional studies to graduate a student without adequate background in professional issues, is the great harm anyone can inflect on a nation. The issues of professional ethi...
The prime goal of this article is to analyze ways cultural variability or differences can militat... more The prime goal of this article is to analyze ways cultural variability or differences can militate in favor of or against objective results in intelligence quotient tests. In assessing human behavior, cross-cultural psychology has opened new dimensions which include cognitive awareness, responses to external and internal stimuli, and environmental, geographical, and ecological constitutions. This new methodology of viewing human behavior has radicalized the notion held by genetic psychologists that human intelligence and aptitude are chiefly the product of nature and therefore immutable, rather than the product of nurture (cultural environment) and therefore changeable. Developments in cross-cultural psychology have led to the discovery that when exposed to other cultures, human beings have the innate potentiality to change aspects of their customs and traditions, which then lead to changes in culture and environment. The notion of immutability of human intelligence, which involves ...
The incredible and honorable responsibility of raising children is becoming more and more scary a... more The incredible and honorable responsibility of raising children is becoming more and more scary and overwhelming for many patients as more and more disturbed and dangerous children roam our streets. Those who will become their victims are countless. As many of them are put in prisons, still many more are at risk of despicable delinquent and mischievous behavior. As one time mom’s “sweetheart” drops out of school, turns to drugs, picks up guns to kill, rape people, and break homes and shops, many dedicated and conscientious parents whose children are involved would turn around and ask, “Where did we do wrong?” “What did we not do?” “We taught we did everything right!” These are soul-searching questions from broken hearted patients, as well as for researchers on neurodevelopmental disabilities. In attempt to answer this question, neuropsychologists have uncovered in human brain propensities the tendencies that may be responsible for some bizarre and “out-of-the-blues” delinquent behav...
Abortion has been a controversial issue in all cultures, races and civilizations. Even in the ani... more Abortion has been a controversial issue in all cultures, races and civilizations. Even in the animal kingdom, the killing of the young by its mother is considered hideous and dreadful. But the reason why humans, known for its higher and more sophisticated intelligence, should legalize the practice of abortion rocks the mind with absolute puzzlement. The article tries to uncover some hidden tragedies associated with abortion, namely the mental health of women and families that engage in such practice. In America, Roe vs. Wade, which permits liberty under the Due Process Clause to eradicate unborn fetuses and avoid parental consent for teenagers, has been stretched to far and today the Courts make decisions concerning obstacles to abortion by the state and maintained that the right to privacy is intertwine with individual's right to his or her body, and therefore has the right to choose should and should not be accepted by the individual. The article tries to re-examine the right ...
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Papers by Cyriacus C. Ajaelu